Director of Events & Entertainment

Location

Key West, FL | United States

Job description

Yearly

Highgate is a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in U.S. gateway markets including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a rapidly expanding presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate’s portfolio of global properties represents an aggregate asset value exceeding $20B and generates over $5B in cumulative revenues. The company provides expert guidance through all stages of the hospitality property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate also has the creativity and bandwidth to develop bespoke hotel brands and utilizes industry-leading proprietary revenue management tools that identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive out performance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the industry’s most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in London, New York, Dallas, and Seattle.

24 North Hotel is Key West’s answer to casual-resort luxury offering guests a genuine island experience. Set at the entry point of Key West on North Roosevelt Boulevard the hotel is convenient to the island's best attractions including Old Town, Duval Street, Mallory Square, Smathers Beach and the Hemingway House. With 145 guest rooms (including 8 suites), views of the gulf, and a lively pool scene, guests can embrace Key West culture while staying in a modern and hip hotel.

  At Highgate, we offer excellent benefits to our Associates - Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid time off, Vacation, 8 Paid Holidays per year. Come join our Team on the beautiful Island of Key West.

The Director of Events & Entertainment is responsible for continually focusing on achieving hotel profitability through revenue generation, cost control, guest satisfaction and developing employees, while maintaining the integrity of the portfolio.

He/she is responsible for developing an entertainment calendar to increase in-house capture ratios and increase local patronage from the surrounding areas. Develop weekly and monthly events, activations, and programming to improve top line revenues and create a local and in-house following during all seasons. This includes, but is not limited to kid’s activities, pool deck programming and participating in the off-site events hosted by the local community. This position will be responsible for sustaining relationships and building partnerships with local businesses.

He/she is expected to market ideas to promote business; reduce employee turnover; maintain revenue and payroll budgets; and meet budgeted productivity while keeping quality consistently high.

This position will have direct oversight of all third-party vendors and operators at the complex. This includes onsite coordination for events, developing SOPs and acting as the hotel liaison for all third-party vendors.

Sales & Events

• Play a pivotal role in hotel sales efforts, including calling on local accounts, meeting clients, hosting luncheons and receptions, and meeting with on-site contacts on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
• Meet clients on the property, including meeting contacts and potential clients touring the property, to assist in the sales effort.
• Respond to all guests’ requests, problems, complaints and/or accidents presented on property or through reservations, comment cards, letters and/or phone calls, in an attentive, courteous and efficient manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Develop and manage VIP and amenity program.
• Daily knowledge of all VIP’s, sites, functions, and groups.
• Maintain complete knowledge of daily scheduled group functions, times, locations, amount of people and specified requirements.
• Assist sales with special events, banquet and other activities as needed.
• Know event space setups and capabilities.
• Support scheduling, planning and executing all events.
• Anticipate client and individual guest needs associated with execution of event.
• Responsible for executing events on-site.
• Prepare accurate deposit invoices.
• Review Final bills for completeness and accuracy.
• Prepare and distribute, in a timely manner, accurate Banquet Event orders.

Entertainment, Programming & Community Involvement

• Assist with all activities to include cultural programming, entertainment, kid’s activities, pool deck F&B outlets and Sunset Green activations.
• Develop and manage the property activity calendars.
• Assist in creating exhibits and/or crafts that celebrate the cultural and unique aspects of Key West.
• Maintain a tracking sheet to monitor events, vendor utilization, income, and expenses for each activity.
• Assist with training for any activity to include all departments and team members.
• Produce a calendar of events for the next calendar season, while ensuring to stay within budget expectations.
• Manage fundraising efforts and community outreach to support local businesses.
• Maintain accurate office and activity supply inventories.
• Ensure all equipment and supplies are kept in good condition.
• Liaison between hotel and 3rd party operators for programming, on island events and festivals.

Service Culture

• Create a positive team-oriented environment which focuses on the guest, through employee development and motivation.
• Ensure that training in service standards is taking place in each department using the steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards, including compliance in all departments.
• Motivate, coach, counsel and discipline all personnel according to Highgate Hotel SOPs and ensure that managers are in compliance with the standards in their administration of counseling and disciplinary steps.
• Ensure that employees are at all times attentive, friendly, courteous and efficient in their interactions with guests, managers and all other employees.
• Ensure staff greets and welcome all guests in accordance with Highgate Hotel SOPs.
• Ensure implementation of all Highgate Hotel policies and house rules. Understand hospitality terms.
• Maintain direct contact with and monitor the development of new hires.
• Adhere to all Highgate Hotel policies and procedures and train new hires to ensure compliance.
• Conduct weekly staff meetings, including weekly training sessions presented by managers and self-using the steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards, and the review of previous and future sales and operations efforts.
• Train individual departments and job classifications on their roles in contributing to the Guest Service and audit scores.
• Be involved in and/or conduct departmental and hotel training (One-to-One Training, etc.)
• Perform manager performance appraisals according to Highgate Hotel SOPs and ensure that managers are in compliance to the standards in their administration of performance appraisals to their staff.
• Use feedback from Meeting Planner evaluations to improve service and quality.
• Ensure that all employees receive fair and equitable treatment according to Highgate Hotel SOPs. Maintain pricing integrity and propose upscale menus for clients.

Leadership Presence

• Be in public areas during peak times, greeting guests and offering assistance as needed.
• Lead Manager on Duty Program to ensure leadership presence in the evenings and on weekends.
• Tour the operating departments daily, making adjustments as needed via department heads.
• Ensure the cleanliness and maintenance of the physical property through inspections and preventive maintenance programs with department managers.
• Interview all prospective final candidates for any vacant management position within the hotel prior to any offer being extended.
• Have comprehensive knowledge of all operational departments within the hotel; guest services, reservations, housekeeping, audio visual, switchboard, accounting, restaurants, bars, and engineering.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.

F&B

• Monitor industry trends, take appropriate action to maintain competitive and profitable operations.
• Work with department heads and keep them informed of F&B issues as they arise.
• Monitor quality of service and product.
• Participate in menu planning and preparation.
• Manage all purchasing and receiving operations to ensure best pricing and quality control.
• Oversee operations of the employee breakrooms and employee appreciation events.
• Ensure compliance with all local liquor laws, and health and sanitation regulations.
• Ensure compliance with brand standards to QA standards and to increase guest satisfaction.

Financial Performance

• Support F&B budget process and monitor department performance with respect to the same. Perform any necessary follow-up, including forecasting.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Analyze previous and projected data to generate an accurate reforecast.
• Prepare employee Schedule according to business forecast, payroll budget guidelines and productivity requirements.
• Assist with ensuring all invoices are paid in a timely manner; document all payments.
• On a monthly basis, forecast the hotel's financial position by estimating revenues and line-by-line expenses. Analyze previous and projected data to generate an accurate Reforecast.
• Review sales and labor costs for previous day; resolve discrepancies with finance and track actuals against budget.

3 rd Party & Vendor Management

• Ensure the cleanliness and maintenance of the physical property through inspections and preventive maintenance programs with third party vendors.
• Maintain a professional working relationship and promote open lines of communication with managers and employees of vendors.
• Interact with outside planners and vendors for event setups.
• Develop service standards for vendors to ensure all policies align with Highgate SOPs.
• Create a positive team-oriented environment which focuses on the guest, through employee development and motivation.
• Ensure implementation of all Highgate Hotel policies and house rules. Understand hospitality terms.
• Conduct weekly staff meetings, including weekly training sessions presented by managers and self-using the steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards, and the review of previous and future sales and operations efforts.
• Develop selling guidelines to ensure market alignment on pricing and guest expectations.

• At least 6 years of progressive experience in a hotel or a related field; or a 4-year college degree and at least 3 years of related experience; or a 2-year college degree and 4 or more years of related experience.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.
• Must have knowledge of F&B preparation techniques, health department rules and regulations, liquor laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of overall entertainment operations.
• Flexible Long hours sometimes required.
• Must be available on nights, weekends and holidays
• Medium work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotel Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, including wearing nametags.
• Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.
• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• Must have valid driver's license for the applicable state.
• Experience with managing vendors and building relationships and partnerships.
• Local candidate with community connections; strongly preferred.

Job tags

Salary